Using Metaphors as a Tool for Examining Preservice Elementary Teachers' Beliefs About Mathematics Teaching and Learning

This study used metaphors as a tool to gain insight about preservice teachers' conceptualizations of the role of the teacher and the learner and held the view that the examination of these metaphors might provide an opportunity for teacher educators to reflectively and critically examine those beliefs. Thus, this research examined possible differences in the reflected beliefs of elementary preservice teachers as depicted in their metaphors about mathematics teaching and learning at three different points throughout their mathematics education methods courses. The results of this study indicated that elementary preservice teachers' beliefs primarily remained static throughout their mathematics methods courses despite ongoing experiences designed to challenge and extend those beliefs.